Description
Detailed Description
This dioptase has real character. I don’t normally look for everyday shapes in minerals, but this one is hard to miss commenting on – to me the dioptase cluster looks like a kite with a tail. The largest dioptase crystal is 1.2 cm long. From the optimal viewing angle, this specimen is in excellent condition, with no damage visible. The large crystal has a cleaved bit at the back of the termination, and there are incomplete crystals around the back of the piece, but super from the front. Totally distinctive, with great aesthetics.
About These Dioptase Specimens
Dioptase was first described from Altyn Tyube, the type locality for dioptase, in the nineteenth century. Altyn Tyube is a remarkable deposit in the Steppes, far from everywhere. It was first worked for copper thousands of years B.C., and it is interesting to note that there are very few copper minerals at the locality – dioptase with occasional minor malachite and cuprite. These beautiful specimens are contemporary, acquired from the team currently conducting specimen mining at Altyn Tyube.
